


Cornfields and Cameras

by shelikesmyspark



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bottom Harry, Farmer Harry, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Photographer Louis, Top Louis, and, between harry and niall, harry is a farmer, it will change, just wait, no sex yet, sorry - Freeform, sorry niall - Freeform, the title is crap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-05-21 23:58:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6062977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shelikesmyspark/pseuds/shelikesmyspark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Harry, go make our guest some iced tea?” </p><p>Just as I was turning away, a brown-haired head flipped upside down to look at me. Chin facing the ceiling, and longish hair hanging down, I was met with bright lit eyes. </p><p>“And if you could, a slice of lemon, please?” </p><p>Shit, he's hot.</p><p>(or, Harry lives on a farm, and he wants to be a lawyer, but his mom doesn't have the money for school, so they rent out a room in their house to a photography student named Louis, and Harry thinks Louis is the most beautiful thing he's seen in his life and Louis wants to help Harry capture his whole life in photographs, even the intimate parts)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story on here, yay! 
> 
> Anyway. So, I used to live in rural Ohio but now I live in southern suburbia, so I thought I'd be nostalgic and make something cute out of the farmer-Harry thing. And why not have him with a photographer Louis?

Cool water ran over and under my toes, barely grazing the ball of my foot. I was sitting, carefully balanced on the edge of a short ridge, and below, my bare feet hung into the running water of a creek. A small fish tapped my big toe, and as I looked down I saw a grouping of minnows investigating my skin. Their soft noses carefully felt me, tickling and making me laugh softly. My chuckle traveled down my leg, shaking my foot and sending the minnows rushing back for safety under the water. Knowing I’d been sitting there too long anyways, I picked my feet up from the water, standing up on the rocky but steady edge. My shoes were on the back porch at the house, so I walked the half mile back cautiously. Only a few yards from the creek, the cornfield began. It was only an acre, but this was going to be the worst of getting back to the house. The fields had just been mowed down last week, so the shortened, hardly-there stalks poked at my feet as I tried to avoid them. I stepped carefully the whole way, looking for flattened leaves to place my feet.

It wasn’t that I disliked walking around without shoes. In fact, I’d left my shoes on the porch on purpose. I loved the feeling of dirt sticking to my wet toes, and dried leaves stabbing my heels. It was a reminder that I was at home here, on my family’s land. After all, you don’t wear your shoes in your house. If I could, I would capture the feelings under my toes in a jar to keep forever, to have when I wanted.

By the time I reached the yellowing grass of the backyard, my mom was calling for me from the back door. Looking to her, as she yelled, I saw she was holding my two shoes in one hand high in the air. “Harry Edward! Didn’t I tell you we were having a visitor? C’mon, come inside now!” She called, not angrily, but with a tad of sass. So I rushed forward, dead grass crunching beneath my feet before I reached her. As soon as I was close enough, my mom whisper-yelled, “And you really should be keeping your shoes on like I told you. Go put on some socks, our visitor’s in the living room.”

Nodding with a smirk, I grabbed the shoes from her hand and kissed her cheek, going past her into the house. Earlier, she had told me that someone would be here later, but I hadn’t been paying enough attention to really know who it was who would be there. In any case, my mom seemed to be very excited that they were coming, so I had a feeling it would be a date of her’s or something like that. Since the stairs gave me no view of the visitor, even as I was putting on a pair of almost clean socks I had no idea what face to put the laugh coming from downstairs to. But the laugh was a warm, loud chuckle, that rung up the stairs and hit my eardrums like a drop of fresh honey.

Bringing myself out of the laugh induced trance, I finished pulling my socks on and made my way back downstairs. Quietly entering the living room, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the guy who was sitting on our couch. No luck though; he was sitting facing my mom, and, speaking of her, she turned her pre-existing smile towards me, “Harry, go make our guest some iced tea?”

Just as I was turning away, the brown-haired head flipped upside down to look at me. Chin facing the ceiling, and longish hair hanging down, I was met with bright lit eyes. Young, younger than my mother’s older eyes. In fact they looked about my age, nineteen or twenty. He smiled, parting his lips in front of white teeth to speak. “And if you could, a slice of lemon, please?”

I only hesitated a moment, to appreciate the high, but honeysuckle voice that graced my ears to ask for lemon. I nodded, bounding off to the kitchen to comply with the orders. As I opened the cabinets, picking out the tea mix, my thoughts were tangled with wonder. I couldn’t even begin to guess why my mom would invite someone my age to our house; I could have sworn that she’d long since given up on trying to force friends and play dates upon me. So this stranger must have some other reason for being here. Maybe mom was going to hire him to work here, to help at the farmer’s market or something? Or someone to buy that corner acre that’s for sale. Yah, that’s probably it. Although someone that young, would they really be buying land?

Looking down, I realized I hadn’t even started to make the tea. I got a clear glass and sat on the counter after filling it most of the way with cold water. Ripping open the tea mix packet, I poured it in, taking a spoon from the drawer and stirring it in. Finally adding a few cubes of ice I went to the fridge for the lemon. Only a few moment later and it was ready, being carried by me to the living room and holding it out to the guy on the couch.

“Thanks, that’s perfect.” He said, grinning and taking the glass. Rather than taking a drink, he set the tea down on the side table next to him and stuck his hand out for me to shake. Taking my hand before I could take his, he shook it vigorously. “I’m Louis. I’m a senior at the College of Fine Arts in Florida.”

Returning the smile, I answered, “Well I’m Harry. I’m not going to college now, but I’m saving up to go to Yale to study law next year in the fall.” I was surprised to hear of the guest’s- Louis’- age, as he’d really looked to be my age. Maybe even younger than me. But he was at least three years older than me, if he was already in college, and a senior.

His eyes were a light, carefree sea green that crinkled in the corners when he smiled, matching the curl of the corners of his lips. Two thin smile lines circled his grin, cute thick cheeks rising above. There was just the slightest bit of scruff covering his chin, and curling up his jaw line to meet his brown hair. The name, his name, it resonated through my mind with a calming warmth. It fit him so well, Louis, a name of royalty in French history. Truly a name worthy for someone so beautiful. My curiosity was at its peak, I wanted so badly to know more about Louis. 

A deep chuckling brought me back to the present, corners of sea green eyes crinkled in laughter, looking at me. “D’you hear me, mister Styles? You sure are one for staring a bit too long. I asked, so you like law then, you want to be a lawyer or a judge or something like that then?”

And damn, he was right, I had stared. Losing myself in a green ocean and wrinkles around a grin and- I needed to respond this time or he’d think I was crazy. “Yeah, a lawyer.” I answered simply, blushing madly in embarrassment and mentally kicking myself for sounding so stupid. I’d always been one for staring, forgetting the present and going into ‘Harry-Land,’ getting enveloped in my own mad mind while the world continued on around me. Doctors call it ADD; I call it just a bit of an imagination. Actually, ‘Harry-Land’ was an inside joke in my household. One of my third grade teachers had written in one of my report card comments that I ‘often drifted off to ‘Harry-Land’, and does not focus in class.’

Louis nodded, and just now finally released me from his handshake. “Impressive, that’s hard work.” Using his elbows to push himself up into a proper sitting position, he faced me, picking his tea glass back up and taking a sip before continuing to talk. “So did Anne tell you why I’m here?”

Of course, she had, but I hadn’t been paying attention. So I shook my head, earning a disgruntled sigh from my mother’s side of the couch. In any case, Louis just laughed again at this, seemingly understanding either my distraction or my mother’s sarcastic disappointment.

“You see, I am a photography major, from Florida like I said. But really Florida gets pretty boring with photography after a while- it’s all already been done, and I really can’t find any inspiration there anymore. Southern suburbs aren't speaking to me right now. So in an effort to artfully find myself, I’m going to live with you all for a little while. Because I’ve heard there are some good photo opportunities in this state that I can’t get in Florida,” Louis gleamed, his snarky smile lighting up the room. “Alright with you, man of the house?”

Anne turned to me expectantly; any good kid would know you’re supposed to offer help to a guest in the house. His smile, though, almost made me forget to reply again. But I managed anyway, conjuring up a wide-toothed grin of my own. “Sounds great, I could even show you around, I know all the best places around here. Like on the square, or down by the creek. Small towns always have the coolest secret places.” Internally I was proud of myself for being able to spit out an entire collection of sentences this time.

Louis seemed to jump at this opportunity, widening his grin even more if that was even possible. “Really? That’d be great, I was just going to run around willy nilly and hope for the best, but a guide would help so much! What grade are you in again? You look old enough to drive, right?”

He directed the question towards Anne, who nodded. “He’s actually out of school, graduated last year from Big Walnut. Now we’re just saving up money. So yes, he got his license a few years ago. My big boy!” She reached over, affectionately pinching my cheek before I softly brushed her hand away with an embarrassed blush.

“I can drive, no problem.” Of course I hadn’t thought that he’d mean now. Outside, the air was already growing cold with the setting sun and impending night, the ducks and chickens starting the trek back to their coops. Louis was eager though, standing up with his iced tea and walking past me to the stairs.

“Then I’ll go get my stuff, be ready to go in five minutes!” He called, rushing upstairs to the guest room down the hall.

My mom and I were left looking at each other, and I shrugged, her responding with a quiet giggle. “Looks like he wants to get his work done.” She said, shoulders shuddering with acute laughter. It seemed neither of us were expecting the rush, but I didn’t mind in the least.

“I’ll be home later, mom.” Still smiling, I went over to her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too, drive safe honey. And keep those shoes on.” She gave me a quick hug, and I returned it before going to the front door to tie up my Converse. They were from my junior year of high school, but since I’d hardly ever worn them outside of school they looked almost brand new, at least in their wearability. They were white when I had originally bought them, then I added my touch to them with a collage of grass stains on all sides from when my mom actually convinced me to wear them. After tying them on, I picked up my keys from the side table and waited for Louis by the door.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo here's chapter two. I told you Niall would be here! sorry to leave it on a bit of a cliff, it's late and I have school tomorrow and I just wanted to get an update out before then.

Moments later, Louis came rushing down the stairs, skipping the last two steps by jumping over them and straight to the floor. Around his neck, on a worn leather strap, was a black camera that looked heavy and expensive. Under his arm he held a tripod, that even folded up was too long and he hit it against the wall twice on his way down, and around his left shoulder was one strap of a backpack that Harry assumed was carrying even more supplies. I wondered how he expected to get very far with all of that stuff, considering that my truck wouldn’t be able to get to all of the best places and we’d be walking some. But, I decided he probably was used to it.

 

“I’m ready,” the older boy said once he was standing in front of me. “I know it’s going to be dark soon, so let’s just pick a place that’s close. And maybe without water, so I can use the flash without it reflecting too much, I don’t like the way that develops.” I kind of stared at him for a second, since all of his camera terms didn’t mean much to me, and then I nodded.

 

“No problem. We can go to the creek tomorrow,” I shrugged, even though I did usually like to go down to the creek at night, when the frogs were out and my cat wasn’t out to scare them away. Turning away from him, I opened up the door, and led the way outside. Down the steps, and path that was mostly just beaten-down grass, was the driveway. It was all rocks and pebbles that led up to the open garage door. And there, in the mess of farming and gardening supplies, was a shiny, brand new black and chrome four door 4x4 pickup truck.

 

No, I wish.

 

It was just my red, rusty, two door pickup. “Sorry, it’s kind of a mess, my friend and I had lunch in there yesterday,” I apologized, as we both went up the vehicle. Louis went to the passenger side, but was walking a bit slower than me, and as I took my own seat, I quickly brushed a burger wrapper off of the seat Louis was about to get into. Just in time, I sat back up straight, while Louis hopped in, quickly pulling away the hand that was just on Louis’ seat to instead brush it through my hair. I twisted the key in the ignition, and soon had the truck pulled out of the driveway- and started right through the corn fields. After all, they were mowed down, so it was just a short cut.

 

As the truck bounced, Louis’ eyes widened, and he belted out laughing while he clutched the bag in his lap. “Hell, Curly! Where are you taking me?” I laughed along with him, and looked over to see the wide grin on his face, which was pretty encouraging. We were heading towards the edge of my family’s land, where I pointed with one hand towards the thick trees.

 

“Down there is a smoke hole. I don’t personally smoke, but my friend does so I’ve been down here a lot. There’s a lot of cool graffiti, I thought that might strike your fancy.” My friend, Zayn, had shown me this place a few years before. Apparently, it had been there for at least fifteen years, and he was shocked that I didn’t know about it even though it was right next to our land. Zayn liked to graffiti, and honestly I thought it looked really cool- it was colorful, and big, and the designs made boring concrete in the middle of the woods look nice. And, sure enough, when I parked the truck right at the edge of the woods, I could hear two distinct, loud voices beyond the trees. The left window of my truck had been stuck half-open for a while, so I could hear what the two were saying.

 

“Niall, for god’s sake, you’ve got blue all down your back!”

 

“Well you didn’t tell me you were going to suddenly start painting there!”

 

Grinning, I hopped out of the truck, passing the hood to meet Louis in front of it. The boy had a raised eyebrow, looking towards the forest as if he was wondering if we should go down there. I waved a hand dismissively, and explained, “I know them, they’re alright.” Louis nodded, so I started forward. As we walked into the trees, after a few yards, a tall concrete wall became visible, that rose over a dry riverbed as a bridge over the long-gone water. And there, by the far side of the bridge, were two of my friends who lived down the road.

 

One of them, Zayn, all dark hair and tattoos, and the other was Niall, significantly paler and with bleached hair. With Niall’s back to us, I could see a neon blue stripe down his white tee, and I snickered. Both of them were wearing paper masks over their mouths and noses, while Zayn was spraying up and down the wall. I beckoned Louis forward with me, and once we were halfway across the dry river, I shouted, “Boys, quit messing around and welcome my guest.” Immediately, Zayn stopped his painting, and they both turned to look at Louis and me.

 

Niall was the first to say something, after he’d pulled his mask down to his neck. “Haz! Who’s this? Jesus, you’re a looker,” the bleach blonde exclaimed, and started rushing across the last few yards to meet us.

 

“A looker?” Louis questioned, wrinkling his nose. Apparently, he thought it was offensive, because he didn’t look happy.

 

“It means you’ve got a nice face to look at, ya dunce,” Niall said, laughing at him. At that, Louis perked right back up, and I rolled my eyes. When I looked back at Niall, he was giving Louis at odd side glance up and down.

 

We all started walking towards Zayn, who was leaning against the wall looking at us. “Guys, this is Louis. He’s staying with me and my mom for a little while. He does photography. I brought him over to take pictures of your stuff, Zayn.” Zayn grinned right away, sticking his hand out to Louis to introduce himself. After Louis shook it, he started speaking.

 

“I’m Zayn Malik. And I’m an artist,” he gestured to the walls, “of both structures,” and then to Niall’s back, “and the human figure.”

 

Niall grunted, slapping Zayn’s hand away from his direction, and introduced himself a little less dramatically. “Well, I’m Niall Horan, and I am constantly victimized by the torture of one Zayn Malik. The only one who keeps me sane is my dear Harry.” He then stretched his arms out and flopped himself onto me, hugging around my shoulders. I just laughed at him, and pushed him off, until we were all just standing there chuckling. Except, apparently, Louis, who I only remembered when a flash momentarily blinded us all.

 

“Oh, well then,” Niall said, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Sorry, you all just seemed very in the moment. Want to see it?” Louis held his camera lower, and to the side to show us the screen. We all shrugged, looking at it.

 

“Zayn looks like a model. I look like I potato. And Harry looks lovely, like usual,” Niall narrated, and I slapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Niall, shut up, we all look good,” Zayn told him, and he just grinned and laughed.

 

“I think it looks good, Lou,” I finally added. It did look quite candid, and in the moment.

 

Suddenly, Niall scoffed, leaning back and speaking in a slow, deep voice, obviously trying to mimic me crudely. “Oooh, Lou Lou, it looks lovely.”

 

For a moment, I thought Niall must be joking; only he turned and picked his backpack up from the dirt. “I’ve got to get going,” he said, “my dad’s waiting on me, probably.” As he walked back towards the riverbed, Zayn sighed.

 

“Sorry, he’s… Yeah.” The dark haired boy shrugged. And I knew that Niall’s dad wasn’t waiting for him, because if he was, Zayn would have gone too- they were stepbrothers, Niall’s dad married to Zayn’s mom. Either way, if one of them had to be home, then both of them had to be home, and Zayn just pulled his mask back up to his face and went back to painting.

 

An awkward silence fell again. I went to Zayn’s bag, and found two more paper masks, giving one to Louis and putting one on himself. Louis stepped back a bit once Zayn started spraying the wall, and soon he was flashing picture after picture. I took a seat behind Zayn, watching the painting in boredom.

 

For the next hour or so, while the sun was gone and we were using a battery lamp to light up the concrete, I thought about why Niall had left. I knew why, really, and I felt bad, but I also knew there wasn’t much I could do to console him. Last year, Niall had asked me to prom, and from there my relationship with him got more and more awkward, until now it was just filled with him trying to make silly moves on me and getting upset when they didn’t work out. I ended up worrying the rest of the time we were there, and I only realized that I’d fallen asleep when I woke up to Louis patting my chest. “Harry. Harry. Wake up,” the honey voice said, and when I hummed instead of waking up there was a bright white flash in my face. “Wake up! I’m getting eaten alive by mosquitos out here, and you’re literally sleeping in dirt. You kicked your shoes off half an hour ago, and Jesus, they stink. Holy shit! Harry! There’s a fucking snake in your hair!”

 

I wouldn’t have believed him, except I felt something move by my scalp, and I jolted into sitting up, my head colliding with Louis’ nose. Since, of course, he’d been leaning over me and wiggling his finger in my hair. I heard him yelp, and we both stood up, me rubbing my forehead, and him covering his nose. “Did I hit you? Sorry, I thought you really meant that snake thing,” I apologized, bending down to look at Louis’ nose. And, yep, even though he was covering his nose I could see blood dripping down his lip. “Let’s get back to the truck, I’ve got tissues.” He nodded, and I helped him pick up all of his camera stuff. Zayn was nowhere in sight, so I assumed he must have left a while ago. Once everything was picked up, we started walking back to my truck.

 

“How are the pictures?” I asked, halfway across the riverbed.

 

“Good,” Louis replied, grinning despite his bloody nose. “The graffiti was a great idea, and it was even better that Zayn was here doing it.” I nodded, and for a few minutes it was quiet. When we got back to the truck, and were both seated, he asked, “Are you and Niall, like, a thing?”

 

“No, no no no,” I said, shaking my head. “We used to be, last year. We went on like, two dates, and we went to prom. But it was really awkward, you know? Because he’s been my friend for so long and it was like dating my brother. I’m really sorry about that, it was really weird, he’s still not really happy about it.”

 

Louis nodded in understanding. “No, I get it. I just want your friends to like me, since I’ll be hanging around you all so often.”

 

“He’ll be over it by tomorrow, don’t worry. He’s a joker.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

I looked over at Louis, at the blood gathering on the tissue at a slowing rate. “Sorry.”

 

Louis shrugged, even though I could tell he was in pain. Once we were finally parked back in my garage, I was about to get out of the truck, until Louis stopped me. “Wait, can you approve something?” I looked over, and he was holding the screen of his camera towards me. And there was a picture of me, taken from above, my eyes closed and lips parted, hair in funny swirls around my head. “It’s from when I was waking you up. I actually like it, your hair frames your face well here and it looks a bit like you posed for it, you know?”

 

I swallowed, and hummed, shrugging. “I guess, sure. You can keep it. Have any other ones?” I pressed the back arrow before he could say anything, and found another of me. This one, I was awake, sitting watching Zayn paint with my chin in my hand and my elbow on my knee. Then, at least forty pictures of either Zayn or of the graffiti, and one of a very-close-up spider. “They all look great,” I decided, stopping for a moment at the picture of myself, Niall and Zayn laughing. I pressed the button again and-

 

“Holy shit,” I said under my breath, eyes widening. Louis had zoned out, apparently, because he only pulled the camera away after he’d heard me. “Oh, my god.”

 

“Harry! Shit, I- I don’t even know what to say. Shit. Uhm…” Louis shut off the camera, letting it hang around his neck again. His whole face was red, and I could see it even though the only light in the garage was faint.

 

I had just seen a picture of Louis Tomlinson, completely naked, posing in a mirror with the only thing keeping me from seeing anything too damning being a hand over his crotch. He was tan, had tattoos, and he’d even been biting his lip.

 

“Well, at least I don’t have to tell you what tattoos I have.”


End file.
